The present invention generally relates to the slicing of food products and more particularly to a method and apparatus for conducting such slicing on food products such as large meat sticks. The invention involves feeding a meat stick or the like toward, into and through a slicer having a blade with specific attributes. The blade allows for slicing which is of improved quality consistency and carries out slicing operations which are of enhanced repeatability. Stacks of slices are formed which are of uniform height, shape, size and appearance. Meat sticks are thus handled even at particularly fast feed rates and without experiencing jamming, reduced yields, or poor slicing equipment utilization which are often experienced when slicing large meat sticks through industrial slicing machinery. Improved product slice and stack quality also results. The advantages of the invention are especially evident when the food sticks are of the low-fat and/or high water content types, especially when thinly slicing same at high speeds.
With certain products such as food products that are processed in large sticks, blocks, chubs, loaves or the like, it is often desirable to handle these large masses in any of the refrigerated but unfrozen, frozen or partially frozen states. Various reasons for processing under the latter two of such conditions include ease of manipulation of the sliced products so as to form neat stacks of slices due to the fact that frozen or partially frozen slices will present low friction interfaces with each other whereby they are readily moved into alignment. Refrigerated but non-frozen food products such as luncheon meats for example sever into slices which are difficult to mechanically move once one slice engages another slice or other surface, thereby rendering extremely difficult the neatening of stacks which are produced by conventional slicing equipment. Nevertheless, at times it becomes necessary to or avoid freezing. Unfrozen products can be difficult to slice at high speeds without causing damage to the slices, such as tearing and edge blow-out, and these difficulties are usually heightened when the food product stick has a high moisture content and/or a low or reduced fat content and/or when very thin slices are being produced.
Attempts have been used in the past for rapidly slicing these types of products and for forming these types of slices, but the yields have been disappointingly low and the waste has been greater than desired. Improvements in yields, stack uniformity and waste factors often can be gained by significantly reducing the feeding speed of the slicing apparatus. This results in increased labor costs and inefficient utilization of the slicing equipment when compared with the potential efficiencies of a truly efficient and high speed feeding approach.
An approach which has been attempted in seeking to capture the potential efficiencies of improved feed arrangements includes the use of a so-called orifice assembly. An orifice assembly is intended to support (primarily laterally) a food stick or the like as it passes through the slicer. Typically, an orifice assembly includes a cylindrical member or other member having a peripheral shape corresponding to that of the stick or the like being sliced. This cylindrical, oval or D-shaped member has a leading edge which is very closely spaced from the slicing blade and is intended to provide some support for the stick during slicing. Some approaches suggest using orifices having smooth inside surfaces, while others suggest somewhat irregular surfaces for contacting the sticks or the like. Pressure applied to the sticks can be adjusted in an effort to better hold the stick on its butt end; however, if too much pressure is applied, the hide can be squeezed off of the product by the orifice assembly, rendering the product unacceptable, while also experiencing uncontrolled butt end pull through subsequently resulting in product jams.
It has been found that the use of an orifice assembly or other type of support surface does not fully remedy the problems associated with high speed commercial product slicing, especially with respect to slice and stack consistency and quality, as well as butt end pull through, slicer jamming, disappointing yield and waste experiences. For example, typically about 1/2 inch to 8 linear inches, sometimes up to about 12 inches, of the butt end of the stick can be lost. Another consequence of frequent jams and pull through is associated with the need for an operator to interact with the slicer such as by using a hand to remove a jammed butt end, creating a condition that can lead to potential reduction of sanitary conditions, which can shorten the shelf life of the sliced products.
It has been found that by providing an improved slicing blade, significant improvements in slicing of food products, particularly luncheon meat sticks or loaves, are attained. By the approach in accordance with the present invention, the yield of uniform slices and stacks of high quality, commercially processable and packageable sliced product is enhanced considerably and the quantity of product waste is reduced significantly, even while achieving greater slicing speeds than those heretofore realized. Furthermore, operational characteristics and consistency of the slicing devices are enhanced.
More particularly, by proceeding in accordance with the present invention, it is possible to slice frozen, partially frozen or refrigerated but unfrozen food sticks on a truly efficient basis and at enhanced feed and slicing rates without incurring the inefficient and serious problems of slice tearing and/or jamming of the slicing equipment such as by having the slicing equipment pull a severed chub out of the orifice assembly as a large chunk of product that cannot be adequately handled by the slicing blade, resulting in jamming of the slicing equipment. Jamming, of course, necessitates a shut-down of the slicing line and perhaps associated machinery upstream and/or downstream of the slicing line in order to clear the jam, often requiring manual intervention by an operator, which can itself reduce the shelf life of the sliced product. Meat products which have high moisture contents and/or low fat contents and/or are not frozen throughout are especially difficult to slice at high speeds; nevertheless, uniform slices and stacks of even these products are consistently attained while still enhancing slicing speed and efficiency. Uniformity of slices includes elimination of ragged slices, folded slices, slices having uneven surfaces, and partial slices. Stack uniformity includes consistent stack height, avoidance of stack skew and so-called accordion sides. Enhanced throughput means less slicer clean out of damaged and partial slices and sticks.
In summary, the present invention achieves these objectives and provides advantageous results along these lines by processing large food sticks, loaves and the like at an exceptionally fast feed rate, with greater slice and stack uniformity and quality consistency and in a more repeatable fashion. The blade of the invention features a unique combination of features which brings about the advantages discussed herein, especially in providing undamaged and uniformly sized and shaped stacks and the slices making up the stacks. The cutting edge of the blade follows an Archimedean spiral pattern, and certain principal blade parameters embody criteria which regulate stack overfill, and minimize deviation from a desired stack height and which maximize the percentage of acceptable slices. These blade parameters include primary bevel angle, top land width, and primary bevel land width. Blade speed increases, which directly influence slice and stack properties, are achieved as a benefit of this combination of features.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved blade, method and apparatus for slicing large food products in the form of sticks, chubs, loaves, chunks and the like.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved slicing blade and method and apparatus which include the use of slicing blades having bevel angles, flat land width surfaces and flatness qualities which improve slicing quality, consistency and speed.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved blade, method and apparatus for slicing food products in order to improve the yield of product processed through a slicer and is especially beneficial for product in a partially frozen or refrigerated and unfrozen state while accommodating relatively fast slicing speeds.
Another object of the present invention is to provide unusually uniform slicing and stacking of food stick slices even with thin slicing of high moisture, non-frozen, reduced-fat and/or low fat products.
Another object of the invention is to cleanly slice and uniformly stack refrigerated product (sliced above the freeze point of the product).
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved slicing apparatus, blade and method which combines blade cutting edge angle and surface width parameters with an Archimedean spiral shape along the blade length for achieving cutting speed throughout the product being sliced.
These and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be clearly understood through a consideration of the following detailed description.